EU applicants offered 1.8bn for entry

TEN countries from central and eastern Europe will be offered a share in a new £1.8 billion pool of European Union grants to help them prepare for entry next century.

But the former Communist nations will be told they must meet tough conditions to qualify for the cash aid. Part of the money can be used to help them modernise their agriculture.

The accession process could lead to an EU of 26 members by around 2010. The 10 former Communist applicants are Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Romania, Latvia and Lithuania.